St Monans and Abercrombie Community Council

Minutes for the meeting held on Monday 16^th January in the Church Hall St Monans at 7.30 pm.

Present:  Vicki Salvage (Chairperson) Marjory Ashworth (Vice Chairperson) Billy Morris (Treasurer), Mervyn Blank, Trish Hardie, Morven Syme, Cllr Alycia Hayes, Cllr Sean Dillion.

Apologies:  Eileen Montador, Stuart Bridges, Richard Croker and Cllr Fiona Corps

Members of the Public: 8

1. Welcome everyone. Refreshments are available.  Vicki read Stuarts resignation letter.  (She explained we now have 2 vacancies on the CC.  We also need a CC secretary, plus a minute secretary too if possible.)   Vicki thanked Stuart for his skillful handling of the Secretary’s position. Making it seem much easier than is often is as taking the minutes at CC meetings and writing them up and handling the CC correspondence is an important part of the CC Secretary’s remit.  Sincere thanks to Stuart for all his hard work during his time as CC Secretary, including his contributions to the CAP plan, work with the Play Park Regeneration Group and our St Monans & Abercrombie WW1 Commemoration and more.
2. No Declarations of interest were declared.
3. Crispin Hayes explained that he works with Sonja and they meet quarterly.  There has been a recent walk around in St Monans which Marjory Ashworth attended.  The path is planned for the north side of A917 3 m wide shared use between cyclists and walkers.  High quality path.  Some parts of the path between Crail and Kingsbarns and Leven to Largo are further ahead.  Before Covid they did a community consultation and got 400 replies.  This is to improve road safety.  Funding for this project is coming from central Government not Fife Council money.  They are trying to get it to spend in Fife and the time scale is until 2024.  Design process in progress.  Bike parking to be put forward to the Community for suggestions.  If we have any ideas we should keep in touch with Sonja.

3b.    Footprint East Neuk:

           Ruth Brown from Footprint East Neuk set up in 2020.  The potential for tree planting in St Monans.  Public tree planting in the East Neuk has been successful;  they planted 5000 in the East Neuk. They have run a workshop at Cambo and did environmental Event in Pittenweem in March – April 2022 to commorate the Platinum Jubilee. They consulted with Pittenweem Primary School + Community Council and the wider community and got money from the Crown Estate. Their planting was discussed with Fife Council who mow the paths. The native trees of Silver Birch, Dogwood, Fruit trees, Oak and Horse Chestnut.  Suggestions for tree planting here on the Mair (Park) and Queen Margaret Street where trees could be planted getting the children from the Primary School and Waid Academy involved. Due to the wind some trees need to be fenced. the size of trees used are whips with the odd standard trees.  Vicki thanks Ruth for coming with her suggestions and hoped there would be local support here for the project.

3c.      Beautiful St Monans: A member of Beautiful St Monans group read out An email sent by one of the group. Numbers of volunteers are going up. New members are always welcome.  B StM even meet when it is wet.  They  put up 106 baskets and wondered if they should continue?  The village gets so many compliments about the flowers.  Perennials are being introduced into the tubs to reduce the amount of annuals.  A member of the public gave £400 for4 baskets and brackets. Discussions over the cost of the watering at £3460 for the season 2022 ( Cllr Sean Dillion is going to ask Fife Council if they would Contribute?) Billy explained the problems that had with funding last year. There is £600 left in the floral account. He has applied for £6000 total cost could be £8000.  CC members happy to continue with the level of planting.

4. Matters arising from minutes: No police report, but have heard that there is an improvement in reactions to phone calls from St Monans. Hope to plan a public meeting again at the February meeting.  Police come through the village more.  Skips have not turned up to tidy up the gardens.  Wording to be altered in November minutes about the water rates at the Heritage.

5. No police report.

6. Chair’s Report  The forthcoming  Burns Supper tickets will cost £28 for 3 courses and entertainment.  This event is held also to raise funds for OFT,  Beach Clean and more.  Some tickets are still available.  Member of the public asked about the Common Good Fund paying for the ‘Old Folks’ Treat? Billy will check.

The new St Monans Lunch Club runs from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm on Wednesdays in the Church Hall.  Lifts are available and the FlexiBus runs to collect and deliver people around Fife.  The RVS are looking for volunteers to help.

Any rumours about CC members sawing off padlocks from bollards and gates is total nonsense.  Vicki has been in touch with Robbie Blyth of the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust and he agrees it is nothing to do with CC.  Our CC AGM was held in December and the value of the Common Good  Fund was asked; our Councillors are checking as we have not had any recent figures.

Cllr Alycia Hayes visit to Bankhead Central was cancelled.  This concerns our medieval heritage chairs – which Fife Council have recently taken away for ‘safe keeping’.  As St Monans and other villages and towns have ‘lost’ many Precious items of local historical importance since 1970s and 80s we are keen to keep track of our 3 St Monans ‘Bailie Chairs’. 

7. Treasurers Report  Not much change reported by Treasurer, Billy Morris. 

He reported that  Heritage funding has come for the roof repairs.  Still waiting on the water and wall repairs.  Floral funding applied for £6000 to be approved in February.  Cash account £1800 and grant money £580.  Capital account £3500.

8. Members’ Reports:  A Coronation Celebration was mentioned by Marjory Ashworth and put forward the idea of something in the Town Hall possibly a magician or entertainer.  Consultation with other village groups was proposed.

Attention is required for the following:

           Hope Place raised kerb stone.

           Hope Place No8 + No9 blocked drain leaked into road in summer.  Reported

           not to be the Water Board responsibility its Fife Council Cllr S Dillion.

           Bottom of Queen Margaret Street/ approaching Braehead, flooded after rain.

           Flooding at the 30 mph sign at the Caravan Park.

           Burn Path is extremely swamped.

           Wall at the corner of Braehead and Station Road is looking unsafe and it is a                  

           retaining wall.  Cllr S Dillion.

           ** Enrolling Children for School 15^th March and for Nursery 31^st March 2023                              

            School closed on 18^th January.

            Gas works in Hope Place 23^rd to 31^st January.

            Inverie Street dropped Kerb.

            Potholes on Abercrombie road –  the C17.

9. Councillors’ Report:  Cllr Sean Dillion said the Roads Annual Report is out. No planned roadworks in St Monans for the next year.

      Road at new bungalows on A917 needing repaired.

      Fife council will not be charging for bulky uplift from April.

10. Public Questions:  Anything about right on way on Station Road.  Could it be completely closed? Nothing to report so far this year. Church congregational meeting on 26^th January 2023 at 7 pm in the Church Hall.  This meeting is about the finances not the building. Date of next meeting:  20^th February 2023 7.30 pm in the Church Hall.